


The Best Gift of All

by izukillme



Series: HyuuIzu Christmas Drabbles [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, BAMF Hyuuga, BAMF Izuki, Christmas, Commander Hyuuga, Commander Izuki, Forbidden Love, King Hyuuga, King Izuki, M/M, Prince Hyuuga, Royalty AU, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21954061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izukillme/pseuds/izukillme
Summary: Crown Prince Hyuuga Junpei wants only one thing for Yuletide.
Relationships: Hyuuga Junpei & Izuki Shun, Hyuuga Junpei/Izuki Shun
Series: HyuuIzu Christmas Drabbles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580473
Kudos: 5





	The Best Gift of All

Junpei plastered on a smile as he accepted yet another gift from a visiting noble and placed it on the growing pile of Yuletide presents that he’d received so far. He knew he sounded like a spoiled prince, but he couldn’t help the intense need to get out of here – the finery of the palace sickened him. Although he’d grown up attending these kinds of functions, he had never enjoyed the stifling formalities that accompanied them; neither had Izuki, which was how they’d bonded despite being from enemy kingdoms.

Even the passing mention of Izuki made Junpei’s thoughts spring to the borders of Alire, where Izuki was leading his country’s forces against the invading Orin. He sighed, wishing more than anything that he could have extended his help and joined the battle, but his father would not hear of it.

“Let them fester,” he’d said. “All the better for us.”

Junpei couldn’t have protested, either. He may have been the Crown Prince and a decorated commander of Zeris, but he only had so much say – the King’s word stood above all. Still, worry for the boy he loved made him constantly tight and tense, like a bowstring drawn taut.

It wasn’t even that he didn’t have faith in Izuki: the other man was a general on par with Junpei, and an excellent fighter whose skill in swordsmanship and acrobatics went unmatched. But war was a difficult place, and it broke you more mentally than physically. You never knew what could happen. Being there with Izuki would reassure Junpei, and besides, two heads were always better than one.

He glanced sideways at his father, who sat regally on his throne, face impassive. Junpei had never hated the man so much as he did now, watching him feed fat off the poor. When he became king, he’d strip the castle of all its wealth and distribute it to those who truly needed it.

 _You promised to return on Yuletide_ , thought Junpei, clenching his fists. _In that last letter you wrote… you swore you’d be home by then._

That was the only Yuletide gift he wanted to receive. Izuki’s safe and happy homecoming, to be able to hold his love in his arms once more and listen to those horrible puns of his (though his letters had contained no dearth of them, it was something else entirely to listen to them in Izuki’s lilting voice). To be able to finally execute their plans for a happy lifetime together…

A wet ‘thunk’ suddenly pierced the air, and Junpei’s head snapped up in shock towards the source of the sound. He grabbed his bow, leaping out of his seat and rushing towards the throne, where his father lay limp, a dagger having pierced clean through his chest. The man was still and pale, blood blooming on his chest from the spot where the knife had hit. A perfect throw.

Screams and gasps had replaced the sounds of music and revelry that had permeated the room not long ago. The guests were scattering like chaff before the wind, leaving behind only the royal guards, the nobles of Zeris, and the Prince himself.

Junpei laid his weapons down on getting a proper look at the dagger; it was oddly familiar. With an incredulous smile that he hid by ducking his head – it wasn’t exactly the done thing to smile at your father’s dead body – he pulled it out of the wound and examined it. A hunting knife, long and serrated with a worn leather hilt. Junpei knew if he wiped the blood off the blade, he’d find an imprint in the metal of the letters H and I twining around each other.

“Out,” he ordered the guards and nobles without turning around, forcing the wide smile on his face to change into a stern scowl. When he heard no movement, he whirled around, the scowl growing furious.

“I said, _get out_!” he shouted. “I’m more than capable of protecting myself if the assassin strikes again; more capable than the rest of you, anyways.”

The nobles trembled at his fury and filed out silently, but the guards stayed. Junpei narrowed his eyes, summoning all the kingly anger he’d learned to muster over the years.

“Was I unclear?” he asked in a dangerous tone. “ _Out_. Now!”

The guards bowed their heads and filed out quickly. Junpei let out a bark of laughter as he stared at the pool of blood on the throne – the throne that was now, by law, his.

Then a smooth and familiar voice came from the top right corner of the throne room, “That was pretty damn badass, I have to admit.”

A slender figure outfitted in body-hugging black armour dropped from the ceiling and landed gracefully on his feet. His straight hair was black too, his eyes bright silver, and a longsword was strapped to his back.

Junpei raced across the room, and Izuki opened his arms, smiling widely as Junpei buried his face in his neck, mumbling, “I missed you.”

Izuki kissed the crown of his head. “I missed you too, Junpei. Happy Yuletide.”

Junpei straightened, unashamed of the moisture wetting his eyes, and gushed, “I can’t believe you just did that. That was an insane angle!”

Izuki shrugged modestly. “It was nothing, really. I just happened to time it right,”

Junpei cuffed him on the back of the neck. Izuki’s father had constantly put him down growing up, resulting in his over-the-top humility. Thankfully the bastard had died recently in a horse-riding accident that had had nothing at all to do with Junpei. Nothing at all.

“Shut up. It was amazing. I’m so proud of you.” he told Izuki honestly.

“Thanks,” Izuki murmured, turning a little pink and reaching up towards Junpei. They shared a few soft kisses before Izuki pulled away, looking around the throne room.

“So,” he said. “We can’t stand here kissing forever. We’ve got work to do.”

Junpei grinned stupidly. “Yeah, well, right now all I want to do is you.”

Izuki traced Junpei’s chest with long fingers, smiling up at him. “Trust me, I do too. But we have a mess to clean up, and you can’t be seen cavorting with an enemy King when your father has just died.”

Junpei kissed him once more, pulling away a little sadly. “You’re right. You should go.”

Izuki nodded. “I love you. I’ll see you soon, and I’ll write you.” 

Junpei smiled at his love as Izuki stepped back and moved towards the exit. As he did, he paused and turned around, a small smirk on his lips.

"Catch," he said, and tossed a knife at Junpei's head. The Prince sidestepped just in time, the dagger clattering against the throne and falling harmlessly to the ground. Junpei couldn't help smiling as he picked it up - Izuki wouldn't be Izuki unless he threw something at Junpei's head. He watched as Izuki nimbly scaled the walls and disappeared into the shadows, bypassing every guard that was posted outside the palace of Zeris.

“Thanks for the gift,” he whispered, not just meaning his new crown, but also Izuki’s safe return. It meant more to him than he’d ever say, and thankfully he’d never need to say it, because Izuki knew.

He always knew everything about Junpei, anyway.

Smiling, the Prince – now King – pocketed the bloody dagger and replaced it with the knife Izuki had given him, then strode out of the throne room, more than ready to set change in motion. His Yuletide gift had been more than just his love; it had been the best gift of all, an opportunity to set things right for the whole country, and that’s exactly what he intended to do.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe I just needed an excuse to write a HyuuIzu royalty AU.  
> BAMF IZUKI BAMF IZUKI BAMF IZUKI I headcanon him as an excellent fighter not because he's strong physically but because he's clever and quick! And ok, come on, Izuki with a sword? Izuki commanding an army? The thought of this boy wielding the power that he deserves is amazing. Hyuuga is an archer as well as an extremely proficient hand-to-hand combatant!  
> In case it wasn't clear, the boys both had terrible fathers, and conspired together to murder them so they could take the thrones and rectify the messes their countries had become. The murder of Hyuuga's father was pre-planned by both; just a little... accelerated by Izuki to surprise Hyuuga.


End file.
